Many REALTORS® think that the best way to leverage your social media accounts is by posting their listings and walking away. Whether or not you do this may depend on your style, but there are more effective ways to showcase yourself as a global expert. Showcase who you are rather than what you are selling. Make the effort to tell both potential clients and colleagues what sets you apart from the crowd by proving it in the content you post. Like they say, “The proof is in the putting.”

Sharing valuable content that is of interest to your niche market is key in attracting clients. Whenever you can post original content such as blog posts written by you, the better. When posting updates on social networks, always ask yourself, “Is this something my clients would be interested in?” If so, why?

How will the information in this post benefit them? The answer to that question should form the basis of your comment. Craft your message carefully and don’t just post without explaining what your post can do for them. Be sure to add one or two relevant hashtags, which will improve the odds that people interested in and searching for the same topics will find your content. This is especially helpful when posting to Facebook and Twitter.

And don’t forget about LinkedIn. Original blog posts can be republished in long-form updates. In other words, you copy, paste and repost the entire content of your article instead of just sharing a link to it. This is a great way to showcase yourself as a global expert and set yourself apart to other REALTORS® on the world’s largest professional network. Whether it be positioning yourself as an expert to clients for direct business or other agents for referrals it is important to do both to maximize your business.

Speaking of referrals, the CIPS designee-only Facebook group (called Official Group: NAR CIPS Designees, you must be a designee to join.) is a great place to give and receive them! Referrals are exchanged here on a near-daily basis. Reach out to other agents with specific opportunities that might attract their interest and utilize this group or trusted professionals who you can count on to handle an international transaction.